Another day, another year.

Yesterday (Oct.23rd) was my birthday. How did I get this old so fast? My God it's frightening how fast the years are going by! It seems like yesterday, or at least last month that I was about twenty or so years younger. I suppose I should be grateful that I have reached this age because it's not THAT long ago when the average age for women was not much older than I am now! I should also be grateful that so far I have lived in to my 60's without suffering through a major illness or disability, despite having Asthma, high blood pressure, and a problem with my right hip when I was a child! My mother was younger than I am now when she had breast cancer (she was 62 and survived another 17 years before the cancer returned in her stomach), and my Grandmother died at the young age of 40 with a heart problem! My mother's mother that is, and she died long before I was born when my mother was only 14! The grandmother I grew up with was my grandfather's second wife, and she died at age 60 about two months after my 16th birthday. So I guess I should be happy that I'm still here! My birthdays always bring about mixed feelings to me. For a long time they were tinged with a bit of sadness, but as the years have gone on, it has become easier to just let the day roll as it may. The sadness comes from one particular birthday.....my 20th. On that day my favourite Uncle, my Mother's step-brother, Ernie, was killed in an industrial accident at work alongside his 21 year old apprentice! I still remember that day in all clarity. I remember the look on my Grandfather's face when he rushed into the store where I was working to tell me that he'd just received the news and was on his way down to the factory where my Mother, her younger sister and step-sister all worked. No one in our family had a phone in those days. Not many families in our neighbourhood in England had phones (now they all do of course) in those days and so it was easier for my Grandfather to go to the factory to tell his daughters in person rather than use the corner store phone! It's too long a story to go into here, but the events of the next few days are still clear in my mind. Uncle Ernie was a very popular man. He was short in stature, but stood head and shoulders above many men when it came to how big his heart and generosity of spirit was! I remember him always laughing, cracking jokes. He loved to be with his family, and was generous with hugs and kisses. He treated me like one of his children, and he was the one who taught me to ride my bike. He was also the one who introduced me to alcohol, which in these days would be frowned upon! It happened one New Year's Eve during my Mother's annual house party. Uncle Ernie came upstairs to the bedroom where I was in bed with my cousin (his daughter) and he had two small glasses of sherry which he let us have to sip on. We were twelve years old at the time! There we were sitting in bed, giggling while he said "shhhh don't let your Mother's know!".....but then it was too late because a few minutes later my Mother caught us, but all she did was laugh! I really had a great family! Anyway, every birthday I think of Uncle Ernie, and I know that Auntie Jenny, his widow (in her 80's now) still does. The sad thing is that it's her birthday the day before mine (Oct.22) and so she also has a birthday tinged with sadness. The other night my nephew asked me how old I would be when he becomes 18! My husband had said something to the effect of Jackson being able to play professional Soccer when he would be 18 or so, and we said we'd come and watch him play! So then he turns to me asks how old I would be then.....and I honestly had to think for a minute before telling him I'd be 76....that's only 12 years away!!!!! He looked at me with big eyes and said, "you'll be nearly as old as Oma (his Grandmother) is now!" OMG...he's right! My mother-in-law is 80! Then he whispered, "but she'll be dead!".....and I quickly replied, "she might not be as her Daddy didn't die till he was 95!"......and the darling boy gave out a big sigh. I think he was relieved! We quickly changed the subject then! I just hope I will be at that soccer game when I'm 76!